Federal Report Shows 1/3 of Nursing Homes Across the Nation Have Been Cited for Abusing Residents

In 2009 the federal government found that nearly 1/3 of all nursing homes in the United States had received citations for abusing and neglecting their residents.

According to the official report, the House Government Reform Committee conducted a search of all abuse violations recorded at nursing homes from 1999 to 2001.

It found that a total of 9,000 incidents of nursing home abuse were reported. More than 5,200 nursing homes receiving citations for abusing or neglecting their residents during that time. The government admits that its findings severely underestimate the incidence of abuse in nursing homes.

More shockingly, the report states that 1 in 10 incidents of reported abuse at nursing homes included situations where the residents were in grave mortal danger and were either seriously injured or killed.

Listing cases of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse where residents were denied their humanity and forced to accept the will of another, the Congressional report found that many of the reported cases would have continued to be ignored by the nursing home staff if a formal complaint had not been filed.

After publishing the report, California Congressman Henry Waxman, the head of the report committee, said in an interview that the level of abuse at nursing homes today is “unconscionable.”

With more than 1 million people living in nursing homes today, and because many residents have a limited ability to communicate with their loved ones, it is important that families understand the scope and signs of elder abuse.

Nursing home abuse is defined as any knowing, intentional, or negligent act committed by a nursing home staff member that causes harm, or serious risk of harm, to a nursing home resident. Nursing home abuse can be mental, physical, or sexual in nature.

Some of the earliest warning signs of nursing home abuse are:

Changes in personality or behavior

Bruises, pressure marks and broken bones

Bedsores, and other unattended medical needs

Poor hygiene and unusual depression

Unexplainable burns and abrasions

Unexplained withdrawal from normal activities

If your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact Garcia & Artigliere for a free case review.

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